


there’s a ghost in the mirror

by sapphfics



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Samurai
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 19:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12966393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphfics/pseuds/sapphfics
Summary: As her parents sign her name on Serena’s death certificate with Emily’s name, carry Serena’s body out to the back yard to bury her beneath the apple tree, Emily tucks the folding zord under her shirt, beside her heart.Or: The one Emily takes on her dead sister’s identity and almost forgets herself.





	there’s a ghost in the mirror

**Author's Note:**

> this is set at the beginning of the season, before antonio joins the team.

_all that i had_  
_all that i ever loved_  
_is lost in the past_  
— letters, mother mother

* * *

 

“Swear to me, Emily,” Serena whispers. “Swear to me that you’ll take my place, make my name worth something.”

“I -“ Emily is just a child, but she understands and her voice shakes. “Serena -“

“You and I both know I won’t survive this,” Serena swallows. “You have to, for me.”

Emily has no time to be selfish. “I will, I swear it.”

“Thank you,” Serena looks relieved, though she is growing pale as the ghost she may soon become. “I love you, Emily. I’ll always be with you.”

Emily stays on the bed beside her sister long after her body has grown lifeless.

As her parents sign her name on Serena’s death certificate with Emily’s name, carry Serena’s body out to the back yard to bury her beneath the apple tree, Emily tucks the folding zord under her shirt, beside her heart.

-:-

Emily lets her hair grow out, uses symbol magic to grow taller. She spends every waking moment after Serena’s death training, and buries herself alive in it so she has no time to grieve.

The arrow comes without warning, hitting a stack of hay. Emily doesn’t panic, because Serena expects her to be better than that. She leaves her parents house with nothing more than Serena’s colour coordinated training uniform, some clothes she had when she was still allowed to be herself, and a photograph of her family when they were something like happy. She doesn’t need much else.

The other rangers seem kind, but she can’t help but wonder if any of them will survive this. They’re the kids that were never allowed to be kids, after all.

“I’m Serena,” she says, smiling the way her sister would have, might have. She keeps a notebook full of old photographs, of things she would say, of everything she can remember about her sister.

“Pretty,” Mike remarks, though Emily doesn’t think he’s talking about her name.

(Despite their destiny, they’re still children. She forgets that, sometimes.)

None of them have anything to say about the fact that their team leader seems to believe that riding a horse in the streets of a busy city won’t make them the least bit suspicious. Is this what happened to their parents, too?

“If you follow me, there is no turning back.” Jayden proclaims, as if they didn’t already know that they would have to follow him to Hell and back - perhaps, literally. “Do not accept because you have been trained to do so.”

As if they could refuse. They all know they would never forgive themselves if they refused, if they let those who dwell in the Sanzu River wreak havoc on the earth.

-:-

That night, the topic of their families comes up and Emily tries to keep her breathing steady.

Kevin reveals that he’s an only child. Through no lack of trying, but because his mother was killed by a Nighlock. Emily begins to understand the reason he is so obsessive over training, the amount of pressure his father must have put on him.

Mike is the eldest of four, and he tells stories of all the fun things he and his brothers would do to help him stay sane whilst training.

“I have a little brother,” Mia says. “Before my parents informed me of my destiny, I used to want to join his band.”

“You still could,” Mike points out. “When we win.”

Apparently no one told him there is even a chance they may not win, that they will die the same as their parents did. Or perhaps, he’s just trying to be optimistic.

For a second, Kevin looks almost hopeful, and Emily wonders if he kept his swimming gear. Just in case.

“Maybe,” Mia replies, hesitantly.

Later, they’re washing up dishes in the sink, up to their elbows in soap. Emily remembers the way Serena used to sing as she dried the plates and bites her lip.

Mia turns to Emily, who’s staring into a plate. “What about you, Serena? You didn’t mention your family.”

“Uh,” Emily tries to be as confident as her sister, tries not to fail her. Her parents believe they can do this, she has to do this, but doubt comes in the way her sword cuts through a monster. “I have - I had a sister. She died when I was younger.”

There’s no easier way to explain it. Mia looks horrified.

“Oh Serena,” Mia hugs her tight and Emily tries to pretend she isn’t lying to them about who she really is. “I’m so sorry.”

Emily hugs her back.

“I’m sorry, too, Serena.” Jayden says, as though he understands. He’s standing in the doorway for a length of time Emily does not know. He didn’t bring up his family, and it makes Emily wonder if he even has any to speak of.

She wonders if they would still feel any sympathy for her if her secret comes out. She tries not to get attached.

-:-

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!”

“You and red, you’re both liars! You know you’ll never be as good as your sister!”

-:-

The monster steals her soul so fast Emily can’t even morph.

She doesn’t realise she looks like herself again until she wakes up to find them surrounding her bed. She glances at herself in the mirror and bites back a scream.

“I -“ She tries to use her symbol power, to make herself look like Serena again. She’s too weak.

It’s Jayden who speaks up first.

“You’re not Serena, are you?”

Emily says nothing, just shakes her head. She is so tired of lying. All her work has been for nothing, and she can almost feel Serena cursing her from beyond the grave.

“Who...who are you?” Mike asks.

“I...I’m her sister, Emily.” Emily’s voice is almost as weak as it was the day she died. “She died. I took her place. I had to...I promised her I’d make her life worth something.”

Her teammates look shocked, as though they honestly believed she was worth something more than her sister’s legacy.

Emily tries to sit up. “Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, but you can’t tell anyone, understand? As far as the clans are concerned, I’m dead.”

Jayden is looking at her again, as though he’s keeping a secret too.

Her teammates leave and Emily wonders if they will ever forgive her.

They get back her soul, start calling her Emily, and she wakes up to Mia holding her hand.

“You..you all still saved me?” Emily finds herself able to stand. “Even after what I did?”

“We understand why you did what you did, Emily.” Mia says, because she refuses to let Jayden speak for everyone. “We care about you.”

“I know,” Emily tells her. It’s been a long time since she’s felt anyone has cared about her for anything more than her duties as a ranger.

They do not say they love her, but it goes unspoken. They may die to save the world, but if they do, they will go together as all good rangers should.

“Samurai forever,” She whispers and Mia grins bright as sunshine.

**Author's Note:**

> why do i keep writing fic where serena dies ?????
> 
> anyway, i swear dayu/mia is on it’s way! i just needed to get this out first, idk if it’s any good but I Tried™


End file.
